


Lonely Love

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [41]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Don't copy to another site, Friends With Benefits, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Stephen Strange, M/M, Mild Smut, Unrequited Love, panic attacks mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 23:08:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16942464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: Stephen would give this man anything he asked for, eagerly without hesitation, if it meant he could be in his presence a little bit longer, if he could be graced with some small part of him.





	Lonely Love

**Author's Note:**

> quick and angsty

   Stephen’s eyes stung as they skimmed the words in front him, blurring from hours and hours of translating the same book. A headache was thrumming in the back of his head, and he knew sometime soon it would rear forward and that would be his cue to call it a night. Still, he kept going, anything to distract him from his cellphone, sitting dark and silent on his desk, the fact that it was Friday night and by all rights he shouldn’t be wallowing in his loneliness, especially since all it would take to remedy that, was for him to make a quick phone call.

   Stephen gritted his teeth, narrowed his eyes, determined to stop thinking about it. He allowed his magic to flex a bit, making the book float in front of him before his fingers could begin cramping to the point of uselessness, he did have some boundaries after all. Distantly, he knew this was unhealthy, that he should turn off his phone, indefinitely really, but there was just something about a bad habit that could dig its claws in and not let you go, especially when it felt as good as it hurt.

   A distinct buzzing sounded, and his eyes darted to his phone, the screen alight with a text message. Stephen felt his heart speed up with anticipation even as his stomach twisted with something sad and hurt. He sent the book away without another thought, it wouldn’t be needed again tonight, and picked up the phone, reading familiar words. _Need You_ , simple and to the point. Stephen dropped it back on the desk and lifted his hands into their usual configuration to make a portal, second nature by now.

   It shone to life in the dark study and not even a second later a dark figure stumbled through, making Stephen’s breath catch. Tony looked terrible, which, considering their long history in both battle and life was truly saying something. His face was haggard with exhaustion, only made worse by the darkness beneath his eyes, the tremble in his frame. He was in tinkering clothes, as Stephen liked to call them, dirty oil stained tank top and jeans, he hadn’t been planning on coming here then.

   Stephen stood slowly, assessing the situation, what the man wanted tonight. It was routine now, this dance of theirs. Sometimes Tony would arrive on the cusp of a breakdown, eyes wide and scared, pleading with Stephen to help him through it and he would. The breakdown would be averted, and Tony would leave with a grateful smile. Other nights he came during or just after one, those were always the worst. Stephen was left to gently coax him back to reality even as he resisted, even as he screamed, shouted, argued, denied, cried, but eventually it would end with Tony in his arms, trembling and whispering apologies. There were also Stephen’s favourite times, the few and far between moments when Tony would call him or appear out of nowhere in the middle of the day with takeout or a smile in tow and they would just sit and they would just talk, like proper friends, like their entire acquaintance wasn’t this fucked up thing it had become.

   It seemed, on this visit, however, that Tony wanted that fucked up kind of night, the only other reason he ever came, the kind that, God help him, Stephen wanted too, had been silently hoping for these past several hours. There was a quiet burning in Tony’s usually warm eyes, tinged with a familiar desperation and something equally indescribable but unsteady. Stephen suspected he himself must not appear so different.

   There was no need for words, they only further complicated a situation so tied up in knots that it was utterly unfixable, besides, Stephen had learned quickly that Tony didn’t want rationalizations or even kind words. It was for the best that Stephen simply nod as Tony’s eyes darkened with desire and he stepped forward into his space.

   A small little smirk appeared on Tony’s lips before he sank to his knees, hands already pulling expertly at Stephen’s robes, his breath harsh and excited. If Stephen was honest with himself, this was the last thing he wanted, this silence, this arrangement. He wanted to fill the quiet night with words of love and appreciation, wanted to tell this man how truly and inexplicably brilliant he was, how in every version of him he has had the pleasure of witnessing, he was in essence, the definition of humanity, both its struggle and its triumph.

   But Tony didn’t want that, he wanted to relieve his stress, wanted a place to run away from the thousands of promises, responsibilities, and pressures being pushed upon him every second of his life. He wanted a warm body and willing ears, and really Stephen would give this man anything he asked for, eagerly without hesitation, if it meant he could be in his presence a little bit longer, if he could be graced with some small part of him.

   So, as Tony wrapped his lips around his cock, eyes gazing up at him intently as he began to suck, Stephen closed his eyes and bit his lip, anything to hold back the torrent of too revealing words that would send this man running in heartbeat.

   He found himself twisting his hands in the stands of Tony’s hair, pulling and petting in equal parts, trying to both punish and appreciate the man that had been able to highjack his brain and his heart the moment Stephen had gazed into the Time Stone and showed them the way to salvation. He allowed himself only Tony’s name, only that one word, that beautiful and exquisite word to slip past his lips in quiet gasps and pleas, ignoring the way it burned on the way out. And as he spilled down Tony’s throat he didn’t dare linger, simply pulled the man up from his knees, tucked himself away and led him to his bedroom, the pregnant silence following in their wake.

   Stephen spent the rest of night valiantly keeping his praise and worship to himself, even as he yearned to kiss those soft lips, even as he yearned to make this insecure, traumatized man understand that Stephen would give up his soul, for him if he would just ask. After all, he already had his body, his heart, his time, but Stephen wanted him to take and take until he no longer remembered what it was to be lonely.

**Author's Note:**

> I was in a pining Stephen kind of mood.  
> I always love hearing what people think :)


End file.
